Selective control of sinkers, needles, and jacks



July 9, 1940. R. H. LAWSON El AL 2,207,463

SELECTIVE CONTROL OF SINK ERS, NEEDLES, AND JACKS ox 'iginal Filed Sept. 16, 1929 4 Sheets- Sheet 1 INVENTORS R OBEIPT H LAwsog,

3 WYROYFLOVELL,

July 9, 1940. R. H. LAWSON El AL- 2307,463

SELECTIVE CONTROL OF SINKERS, NEEDLES, AND JACKS I Original Filed Sept. 16, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 I ll 7 w INVENTORS! RoaskTHZ LAW V.

y 9, 0- R. H. LAWSON Er AL 2,207,463

SELECTIVE CONTROL OF SINKERS, NEEDLES, AND JACKS Original Filed Sept. 16, 1929 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 7.

7% 4 J In I. I l- I 55 I E I 1 l INVENTORS:

IPoBRTH LAWS 0N, BYROY F. L ovzLL ATToNE'Y July 9, 1940. R. H. LAWSON El AL 2,207,463

SELECTIVE CONTROL OF SINKERS, NEEDLES, AND JACKS Original Filed Sept. 16, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F'I G .9

INVENTORS! f W ROBERI'H Law on, I BYRoYF'. LOVELL,

shill m 0'06? ATT R'NEY k- 58 v Patented July 9, 1940 UNITED STATES SELECTIVE CONTROL OF SMEBS, NEEDLES, AND JACKB Robert H. Lawson, Pawtucket, and Roy F. Lovell,

Providence, R. 1., assignors to Hemp Company, Central Falls, B. L, a corpora on oi Massachusetts Application September 18, 1929, Serial No. 392,853 Renewed March 24, 1989 11 Claims. (ores-so) This invention relates to an improved control for selecting instrumentalities for reverse plating knitting. It now is common in machine knitting to reverse plate by selective control of certain reverse plating instrumentalities, in some cases the needles themselves and in other cases the sinkers and in still other cases so-called jacks that act upon the sinkers or directly upon the needles. According to the present disclosure the reverse l0 plating instrumentalities take the form of jacks radially slidable in grooves cut in a dial positioned in a manner similar to the dials shown in the patent to Robert H. Lawson, 1,605,896, Nov. 2, '1926, which jacks are adapted to be selectively controlled to thereby act upon certain of the sinkers or needles whereby the said selected sinkers or needles reverse plate at desired wales and in desired courses.

In the drawings:

Fig. l discloses a jack dial in cooperative relationship with the sinker head, the dial in section, the section taken on the line ll, Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1 and showing the dial cap;

28 Fig. 3 is a view in section similar to Fig. 2

showing one-half only of the dial;

Y Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modification showing a segment of a sinker cap, the cams and jack butts shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the sinker head and cap showing in addition thereto a part of the needle cylinder and selector dial in section;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but taken at a later period in the cycle of operations;

Fig. 6a is an enlarged detail view supplementing Fig. 6 and showing the relatfve positions oi. a needle deflected for reverse plating and a second needle in normal position;

Fig. '7 is a top plan view of another modified form of the invention showing the sinker head and a few jacks in position, the sinkers not shown;

Fig. 7a is a detail view of one of the cams, Fig. 7, for operating the jacks;

5 Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8, Fig. 7, and with the sinker cap in position; Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the sinker cap, the top plate broken away to show the actuating cams; a

50 Fig. 9a is a; detail view of one of the cams,

Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation of the cap and certain oi the cams shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a. view in vertical section taken on Blithe line lI-il, Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of sinker cap with jacks therein to be both selected and moved to reverse plating position at or adjacent the knitting point, and;

Fig. 13 is a similar view or a further modiflca- 5 tion but with selection only of the jacks adjacent the knitting point, the dividing cam actuating the jacks to cause reverse plating.

Referring specifically to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the sinker head is indicated at l and the needle cyl- 10 inder at 2. Needles 3 are adapted to be guided in grooves or tricks cut in the outer cylinder wall as usual. sinkers 4 withbutts 5 are shown in Fig. 1 each of which is adapted to be selected by means of a jack 6 the latter in turn selected in 15 a manner about to be described. The jacks each consist of an outer part I, and an inner part 8 hingedly connected together. The part I has an end 8 turned at substantially a right angle to engage a companion sinker butt 5, and has also 20 a butt or'projection it while the part 8 is provided with a butt II. The jacks 6 are mounted for radial movements in grooves or tricks 13 cut in the dial l2 which grooves are in part horizontally disposed and in part inclined to the horias zontal.

Positioned above the dial is a dial cap ll which latter carries a cam i5 adapted to guide the jacks 6 and control their movements radially, a portion ii of the said cam imparting outward radial 3o movements to selected ones of the jacks 6 as will be presently described. While the dial I2 is mounted'for circumferential movements in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, the dial cap it is fixed against turning by any suitable means. 35 Between the dial cap I and dial I2 is positioned a ring it having radial slots ll cut therein and adapted to receive and guide, for radial movements, the butts ill of the outer parts I of the jacks. The ring it thus rests upon and is driven by the butts or projections ill of the jacks, the I jacks in turn supported and driven by the dial II. The inner surface of the ring it is circumi'erentially grooved as shown, Fig. 2, to provide a bearing between it and the stationary dial cap Any suitable means may be provided for selectively controlling the movements of the jacks 8. As shown, Fig. 3, the parts 1 of the jacks normally rest upon the horizontal seats l3 of the grooves, and the hinged parts 8 upon the inclined walls l3." thereof or upon pins l8 headed at I9 and slidably received in holes drilled through the said walls It". Preferably, a single pin projects within each groove. Adjacent pins which are located at different distances from the inter circumference of the dial i2 correspond in to cams 20 carried by a drum 2|. If five circumicrential series of pins II are utilbed, the pins in every fifth groove ii are thesamedistance from the periphery of the dial l2. a

The drum 2 I, carrying the cams 2!, is supported from any convenient part of the machine frame and its earns 20 are adapted to raise certain ones of the pins l8,.which latter in turn raise the hinged parts of the jacks 8 from the'position shown in Fig. 3 to that of Fig. 2. As shown in Fig.2 when cams 20 are positioned beneath four of the five pins, the four jacks above the said four pins are raised and then moved forward or projected by cam l5 and the sinkers companion to the said four jacks are moved forward to reverse plating position. With the arrangement of drum cams 20 under the pins l8, as shown in Fig. 2. the jacks assume the relative positions indicated in Fig. 1. i. e., four adjacent jacks are in their forward or projected positions due to the cam portion i5 having acted upon the jack butts I l and radially projected the same to their outermost positions. Onthe other hand, the outermost pins l8 (every fifth pin), Fig. 2, are not raised by a cam 20 for the course of knitting, and consequently every fifth jack remains retracted with the hinged parts 8 thereof in the position shown in Fig. 3, and with their jack butts ll below the effective carn surface ii. The jacks in a retracted position such as indicated by the reference character 6', Fig. 1, do not radially displace their companion sinkers when moved adjacent thereto by the relative rotation of the sinker head I and dial l2, with the result that the yarns plain plate at the wales controlled by the said retracted sinkers.

After the sinkers have been selected and have actuated their sinkers for one course of knitting, continued rotation of the dial I2 brings the jacks contained therein around in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, until the projected jacks are retracted by the cam l5. Before retraction, the jacks after having been projected by the cam l5, rest upon horizontal seats IS on the dial l2 and forward of the inclines it" with the result that the hinged portions of the jacks remain in the horizontal positions to which they are initially raised by their pins l8. Normally, upon retraction by the cam IS, the hinged portions 8 of the jacks fall by gravity into the position shown in Fig. 3. However, if certain of the jacks are restrained from dropping back they are positively relowered or repositioned by means of a cam 22 connected to cam l5 which cam 22 is in such a position as to relower the jacks immediately after they have been retracted.

In the form shown the cam drum 2| is racked around or moved, preferably, one step circumferentially each course of knitting and as one means for accomplishing the racking a single toothed gear or pinion 23 may be provided as shown, Fig. 2, connected to the hub of the dial l2, said tooth engaging the teeth of gear 2|, fast to one side of the cam drum 2|, once each revolution of the dial. The cam drum is thereby moved around one step for each course of knitting or as desired. Any other suitable means may be substituted for the interengaging tooth 23 and gear 24 herein disclosed.

If reverse plating be desired for the ensuing course in the same wales as in the preceding course, cams 20 will be positioned upon the cam drum 2! to be in the same relative positions as were the corresponding cams 20 for the previous course of knitting; the rotation of the dial i2 bringing the pins ll, that have been'reiowered, around adjacent the said cams 2| whereupon the pins as they reach the cams II ride up inclines thereon thereby again elevating or raising the jacks positioned above the raisedpins 18 with the result that the projecting cam I! will again engage the butts ll of the selected jacks as indicated in Fig. 1. If a different selection of jacks for reverse plating is desired for. an ensuing course of knitting, the racking of the 'drum 2| will bring around a set of cams 20 arranged differently than were the cams 2| for the first course. For example, three cams only may be brought to a position where they will be engaged by the three inner series of rotating pins ll. The two outer series of rotating pins it not having cams thereunder for the ensuing course of knitting will not be raised and consequently their jacks will remain in the retracted position indicated by 6', Fig. l, and the fabric will have three reverse plated wales followed by two plain plated wales in turn followed by three reverse plated wales and so on. With the arrangement of pins ll shown in the drawings, every fifth pin is' positioned the same radial distance from the axis of the dial i2 so that with a cam 20 in position, the latter will cause reverse plating at every fifth wale unless certain of the pins ll be removed in which event plain plating alone occurs throughout such wales. Any desired pattern may be knit in a stocking or other fabric within the range of the number of rows of pins l8 and cams 28 on the drum 2!, five in the present disclosure being shown though more rows may be used if desired.

During heel and toe knitting it is desirable that the drum 2| be not racked so that the jacks will not be actuated or radially displaced. In order to accomplish this purpose the dial is, preferably, raised in the manner disclosed in the mentioned Lawson patent.

Instead of selecting the pins ID by the cam drum 2| and cams 20 as above described, the pins l8 may be ,divided into series, and each series of pins contr'olled by a rotating drum or other means having rows of lugs or cams each row extending along the drum somewhat in the arc of a circle corresponding in position to the more or less circular arrangement of pins H3 in each sector of the dial l2 or other support for the said pins though the pins It may be arranged more or less in a straight line depending upon the length of the hinged portions 8 of the jacks. As they approach the projecting cam IS the hinged portions of the jacks are selectively raised by racking or moving the drum under each sector thus in turn bringing lugs or cams under and selectively raising the pins l8 in each sector. The raising of the jacks permits the cam i 5' to engage the jack butts and force them outwardly, the horizontal portions l3 of the guiding grooves for the jacks then retaining the hinged portions thereof elevated. Each sector of pins is controlled in the same manner, each drum rotating with the dial i2 and acting only upon its lack pins l8.

In place of the drums, rolls may be provided, one undzfi' each sector of pins ll, each roll carrying an endless or other Jacquard sheet or band with lugs or cams thereon to raise the desired ones of the pins l8 in each sector.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 6a wherein is disclosed mechanism for reverse plating by needle deflection, 26 designates a sinker cap and 21 a sinker head which is connected to and driven by the cylinder in the usual manner at 28. The sinker cap 26 remains stationary during circular knitting and has connected thereto at intervals depending brackets 29 the latter connected to and supporting a ring 30, the said ring 30 supporting. in turn a horizontally disposed circular plate or ring 3|. The rings 30 and 3| provide a bearing and support for the sinker head 21 as .the latter rotates relatively to the sinker cap 26. An annular rib 32depending from the sinker head 21 bears against the inner edge or surface of the plate 3|.

The sinker cap is provided with a raceway 33 traversed by butts 34 of sinkers 35, and a second raceway 36 in which travel butts 31 of jacks 38 positioned in the same grooves or slots with their companion sinkers which sinkers are slidably seated upon the jacks. The jacks have adjacent their outer ends tails 39 and adjacent their forward ends lateral lugs or projections 40 the latter adapted to engage needles 4| for a purpose presently to be described. The jack raceway 36 is provided by a cam 42, certain of the jack butts 37, after selection, traversing the forward or inner division 36' of the raceway 36 and other jacks, notselected, moving along. the division 36" of the raceway 36 to the rear of the dividing cam 42. The means for selecting the jacks 38 consists of jacks 6 similar in all respects to the jacks 6 disclosed in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 hereof, and operated and controlled in the same manner or in a different manner if desired. The jacks 6, or rather such of them as have been previously selected, engage tails 39 of the jacks and push their butts 3! forward of the dividing cam 42 so that they move along in the forward division 36' of the raceway 36 while the non-selected jacks, i. e., the ones not engaged and moved by selector jacks 6, pass back of the dividing cam and traverse the path 36" as before stated.

After selection, the jacks, selected and non-seand 36 and without change in their relative positions until they arrive at the knitting point.

At this point the selected jacks engage a cam or incline 43 by which they are advanced or pushed for ward, their lateral projections 40 engaging companion needles 4| and deflecting the latter as indicated by the relative, deflected and non-deflected, positions Fig. 6a. The deflection of the needles must be so timed as to occur just after the body and plating yarns are within the needle hooks but before'the needles have descended to their full depths as is well understood in the art.

The sinkers which travel in their customary knitting path or raceway 33 are retracted by the cam 44 and again advanced by the cam 45 to knock over the old stitches as is usual in knitting machines of the type herein disclosed.

After the selected jacks have been engaged by I the non-selected jacks depressing the jacks and the cam 43 to deflect their needles, the jacks are retracted as their butts are engaged by the cam incline 46. Thereafter the cam 47 further retracts the jacks by engaging their butts 31, the butts then joining the non-deflected jack butts at this point in the cycle of operations. Thereafter all of the jack butts traverse the raceway 36 until again divided by the selector l6 and cam 42 for the next following course of knitting.

Referring specifically to Figs. 7, 7a, 8, 9, 9a, 10 and 11, wherein a second modified form of the invention is disclosed reverse plating is the re sult of needle deflection and in the said figures 48 represents the sinker cap and 43 the sinker head which is adapted to turn with the needle cylinder shown at 56. A stitch ring 5| mounted fixedly upon the upper portion of the needle cylinder serves to guide sinkers as is usual in Banner and other machines and also acts as a guide for jacks about to be described.

In this form of the invention the jacks 52 are mounted to slide radially'of cylinder 50 in slots cut in the sinker head defined by walls 53 (see Fig. 8), and the sinkers (not shown) are also guided in the said slots and seat upon the jacks 52. Said jacks 52 are provided with butts 54 to be engaged by a cam as will be described, each jack also having-selector butts 55, twelve in this instance, although each jack may have any desired number of selector butts. Adjacent the forward or inner portion each jack has a lateral lug 56 adapted to engage' and deflect a needle and effect reverse plating as disclosed in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 6a, and a second lug or butt 56' acting as a stop to limit outward movements of Lhe tgack by engaging a shoulder 49' on the sinker The dividing cam 42 of Figs. 4, 5, and 6 is not used and the jacks while they pursue different paths are selected in a manner quite diflerent from that disclosedin Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The specific means for selecting the jacks consists of a series of superposed selector plungers 51, twelve in this instance, one in position to engage the uppermost butt 55 of each jack, a second in position to engage the second butt, a third in position to engage a third butt, etc. If all of the butts 55 are on all of the jacks reverse plating will occur at every Wale and in every course but by breaking off or removing certain of the butts as shown by the jack at the left of Fig. 8, and selectively controlling movements of the plungers 5'! to and from the butts, desired reverse plating selections may be obtained. The plungers 5'! are selectively moved forward a sufiicient distance to select the jacks by any suitable means not a part of the present invention. The jacks 52 move with relation to the sinker cap 43 in the direction of the arrow Fig. 7 .and when they reach a point opposite the plungers 51 certain ones of the latter are moved forward a short distance and during such movement engage certain ones of the jacks having butts 55 at the levels of the selected plungers, that is, if a given jack has a butt 55 at the level of a plunger selected and moved forward by other means (not shown), the said jack will he moved forward a short distance and when so moved will ride along the horizontal surface 58 of the sinker head. There-- after upon continued rotation of the jacks in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 7, the selected and non-selected jacks arrive at an incline 59 formed by cutting away the sinker head. At this point in the cycle a cam 60, which is part of the cam plate 6|, engages upper nibs or butts 54 of causing the lower extremities thereof to ride down the incline 59 and along an idle path 62. The nibs 54 of the other or selected jacks are engaged by a forwardly facing cam or edge 63 also part of plate 6| and'are moved forward a slight distance and miss the depressing cam 60. The non-selected jacks, depressed by cam 60, move along with points 64 thereof on a level or substantially so with the lower edge of a cam or incline 65 the latter forming part of the sinker head. On the other hand the selected jacks, moved forward a short distance by the cam 63 as before stated, remain at their upper level with their lowerpoints Cl positioned as shown in Fig. 8, although they may drop slightly due to their own weight to such a position that their points it are substantially midway of the incline II. The nibs I of the non-selected Jacks continue to move aiongat a lower level than do the nibs ll of the selected Jacks, the former passing beneath the cam plates i and It as shown in Fig.

9, while the nibs ll of the selected Jacks are cammed forward slightly by the incline i8 and then further advanced by the cam 01 carried by and part of the cam plate It. The movements imparted to the jacks by cam l1 cause their nibs or lateral projections it to engage and deflect companion needles ll rearwardly or toward the axis of the needle circle as indicated in Fig. 9 and as more clearly shown in Fig. 6a, with the result that the body and plating yarns are turned over at the wales of the deflected needles as before described with respect to the modification showri in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 6a.

The cam plate 60 is cut away at I to make room for the plungers II, the bevel shownserving to depress such lacks as may have broken butts or nibs I. and It.

After the needles have been deflected to renon-selected group of jacks. As before stated thenibs It of the selected jacks pass beneath the cam plates ti and 68 when in the retracted position 62 shown in Fig. 9. As they leave the cam plate 66 the cam or incline 10, Figs. 7 and 7a, engages the lower edges of the non-selected Jacks and raises them until they rest upon the surface SI of the sinker head. The beveling of the cam plate 55 at II, Fig. 9a, while it serves no useful purpose during circular knitting, depresses or sinks all of the jacks by engaging their nibs 54 during the heel and toe knitting. The previously selected jacks are retracted after passing the knitting point by a cam 12 engaging the nibs 54, Fig. 9, and retracting the jacks until they join the non-selected jacks raised by cam 10. The nibs 54 of all'of the jacks are then moved forward by cam 13 which is carried by cam. plate H. The camming forward of the jacks by the cam I3 prevents the jacks from coming into contact with a shoulder 15 on the outer wall 18 of the jack raceway". In the event that a Jack nib 54 is broken off the rear edge of the jack, formed by the breakable butts 55, is engaged and moved forward by a supplemental cam II, Fig. 7,

" which cam does not extend to the full height of and cam 8| and thereafter pass under the cam plate I to be again selected by the plungers 51 for the next following course of knitting.

The sinkers 82, as disclosed in Figs. 7, 7a, 8, 9, 9a, 10 and 11 do not assist in the reverse plating 'but merely perform the usual knitting functions and are provided with the usual butts 83 which traverse a raceway 84 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 9, during circular knitting. The sinker raceway 84 is provided, adjacent the .knitting point, with the regular sinker cams 85, 86,

WAGS

and II. The cams It and II have thereon the usual stitch knockover points II and .1 respectively which latter are operative during the reverse strokes of heel and toe knitting only. Each cam It and U is reduced at II which reduced ends overlap reduced ends ll of a rib or flange II which constitutes the outer wall of the raceway N for the sinker butts II. A plate ll carried by the top cap plate I! of the sinker cap 48 has integrally or otherwise connected theretorib ll and the sinker advancing cams It and II. The sinker retracting cam II is attached to plate 83 which is a continuation of the circular plate ll and carries in addition to the cam ll sinker advancing cams It and 81. The cams 1! and II are each integral, respectively, with the sinker cams II and II.

In Fig. 12 is disclosed a fragmentary view of a modiflcation of the sinker cap and wherein the dividing cam 42 of Figs. 4, 5, and 6 is omitted and the outer wall 9! of the raceway is rec 9!, but not for the full depth of the butts of the needle deflecting jacks, to permit the Jacks I of the selector it to engage the needle deflecting jacks and advance them fully-at the knitting point. The jacks advanced fully at the knitting point, in turn. engage the companion needle shanks and deflect the needles to reverse plate in the manner disclosed in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 6a.

In this form of the invention selector jacks fully advance the needle deflecting jacks and consequently deflect the needles, at the knitting point without resorting to a preliminary division of the jack butts 96 which travel in a raceway II.

In Fig. 13 still another modification of the invention is disclosed. In this form a dividing cam 98 divides the jack butts 99 substantially at the knitting point and certain ones of the butts 98 of the jacks are moved forward of the point I of the dividing cam immediately in advance of the knitting point by selecting means such as selector l6. Immediately thereafter an incline llll of the cam 98 engages the selected jack butts 88 and further advances the jacks which as they are moved forward, engage the needles and cause a reversal in the normal plating relation of two threads in the same manner as disclosed in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 6a.

Although the several forms of the present invention specifically disclosed herein refer to reverse plating, the invention is not necessarily limited thereto but includes as well float thread plating, i. e., the knitting of two or more yarns throughout the greater part of the wales and courses of the fabricand wherein a plating or other yarn is not knit in by certain of the needles during certain courses but appears in the fabric as floats at the rear of the body yarn which latter in such wales and courses appears as the face yarn.

Furthermore this invention contemplates any selective control of sinkers or needles in. circular or other machines, and wherein during or as a part of such selection, sinkers or needles are selectively controlled for the production of ornamental or other effects by means of jacks or other instrumentalities and wherein such jacks and/or sinkers are selected by movements imparted to them that raise or position their butts to be engaged by means such as a cam or cams whereby the latter impart to the jacks and/or sinkers their final movements at or adjacent the knitting point. The final movements of the jacks, sinkers or other instrumentalities may be defined as being right line movements and substantially at right angles with respect to the selective movements.

when selectively controlling sinkers the latter may be selected as, for example, disclosed in Figs.

1, 2, and 3 hereof, to produce sinker drop stitch eflects, or designs in pileloop fabric.

The needles-may be selectively advanced to reverse plate, 1. e.. moved or bent as disclosed in the Lawson Patent 1,690,076, Oct. 30, 1928, and

I the Jacks which control their lateral movements may be selected in a manner similar to that disclosed in Figs. 7-11 inclusive.

Although specific terms have been herein employed to designate the several parts of the mechanism herein disclosed, this invention is not to be limited otherwise than as dictated by the scope of the claims.

We claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine of the independent needle type, needles and sinkers mounted therein to move in cooperative knitting waves, means in cooperation therewith adapted selectively to control the sinkers so that reverse plating may occur in desired wales and desired courses, said means consisting of a member mounted to rotate in time with the needle cylinder having jacks mounted therein for independent movements, the jacks being adapted by their movements selectively to control movements of the sinkers, the said jacks having butts thereon adapted to travel in, an active path where they are so controlled .asto impart movements to their companion sinkers, said jack butts also being apted to move in an inactive path which inachis path is at a lower level than the before mentioned active path.

2. A knitting machine of the independent needle type, needles and sinkers'independently mounted therein, in combination'with jacks independently and laterally movable bodily with respect to the needles, and adapted by such independent movements to modify the movements of the needles, means adapted to control the movements of the jacks including means to select certain of the jacks and other means adapted thereafter to actuate the selected jacks whereby the mentioned modification of certain of the needle movements is obtained.

3. An independent needle knitting machine having needles and sinkers independently mounted therein, in combination with jacks which jacks have butts thereon and are thereby adapted to be selectively controlled during the knitting of courses, in combination with means for selecting the jacks adapted, first, selectively to divide the jacks into an active set and an inactive set, said means thereafter being adapted further to actuate the active set of jacks to move them bodily at right angles with respect to the needles whereby the jacks modify the movements of the needles after at least one thread is within the needle hooks and thereby cause variations in the knitted fabric.

mentioned butts thereby to position the whereby'to vary the appearance of the knitted needles. and sinkers therein, jacks independently mounted in cooperative relationship with the needles and slidable substantially at right angles relatively thereto, butts on the jacks, means adapted to engage the mentioned butts in one position of the Jacks, other butts upon the jacks, means adapted selectively to engage the secgid st mentioned butts at difl'erent levels so that the means first mentioned will control the movements of such selected jacks, thereby to modif the needle movements.

6. A circular knitting machine of the independent needle type, needles and sinkers'mounted therein for independent, cooperative knitting movements, threads fed in plating relation to the needles and sinkers, means for modifying the relative movements of the needles and sinkers to cause one thread to be knit in as the face thread at selected wales and courses only, said means including jacks slidable transversely with respect to the needles, and devices selectively to position the jacks as desired so that the latter may travel in either an active path at one level or in an inactive path at another level, the jacks when travelling in the active path causing a variation in the normal plating relation of the threads.

'7. An independent needle knitting machine, needles independently mounted therein, and members in. cooperation therewith which are mounted for slidable movements transverse with respect thereto, a cam adapted to move selected ones of the said members transversely, the said members having butts, and means adapted selectively to position the butts. of the said members so that certain of the said butts will be engaged by thecam and the menrbers moved' transversely of the needles, the transverse movement of the members causing the needles companion to the members to be laterally deflected.

8. In an independent needle knitting machine, knitting instrumentalities including needles and sinkers, means adapted to cooperate with certain of the said instrumentalitles including jacks having butts, said jacks being bodily movable transversely of the needles, a single cam adapted to engage the butts and move selected ones of the said jacks to a cooperative relation with certain ones of the said instrumentalities, whereby the jacks when engaged by the said single cam communicate, to the said certain ones of the said instrumentalities, movements differentiated with respect to the usual stitch forming and knocking over movements thereof, means for selecting desired ones of the said jacks by positioning them so that their butts will be at a level for engagement by the said single cam and at a level other than the level of the other butts.

9. In an independent needle knitting machine having knitting instrumentalities including needles and sinkers, means adapted to cooperate with certain of the said instrumentalities and including jacks having butts, a single cam adapted to engage the butts and move selected ones of the said jacks to a cooperative relation with certain ones of the said instrumentalities whereby the jacks when engaged by the said single cam communicate to the said certain ones of the said instrumentalities movements differentiated with respect to the usual stitch forming or knocking-over movements thereof, and means for selecting desired ones of the said Jacks by causing them to be selectively elevated lengthwise of the needles so that the butts of said Jack: will be positioned for engagement. by the eaid.single cam.

10. An independent needle knitting machine having needles"- and sink-rs independently mounted therein, in comunation with hols which Jacks have butts thereon and are thereby adapted to be selectively controlled during the knitting of courses, in combination with means for selecting the jacks adapted, first selectively to divide the jacks into an active set and an inactive-set, said means thereafter being adapted further to actuate the active set oi leeks at right angles with respect to the needles and by flliht line movement of the jacks substantially at right angles to the first selective movement thereof, whereby the jacks modify the movements 01' the needles after at least one thread is within the needlehooksend thereby causevarietionlinthe knitted fabric.

11. In a knitting machine, means for feeding threads to the needles, needles and sinker: and other ,knitting instrumentalities, said other inetrumentalities having butts and being movable in the direction oi the needles, the butts or said other instrumentalities adapted to be positioned at either of two levels lengthwise of the needles, me. for selectively acting upon the said instrumentalities to position some of the said butts at one level, and other means to act upon the said butts at that level to impart movements to them in the direction of the needles to cause the threads to be acted upon in such a manner as to afl'ect the character of the knitting.

ROBERT H. LAWSON. ROY F. LOVHL. 

